Top

>> this is "bbc world news." funding for this presentation is made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its financial expertise to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> and now, "bbc world news."

6:01 pm

>> hello and welcome to "newsday." >> the headlines this hour. wanted dead or alive, the million-dollar bounty is put on the head of colonel gaddafi. but the fighting continues, rebels advanced on -- >> i don't know what they are fading for -- fighting for. we have a minute corner now. >> and other news, steve jobs steps down as the company's chief executive. hurricane irene gather strength as it moves across the caribbean. it is 9:00 a.m. here in singapore.

6:02 pm

>> hello and welcome. there have been fierce battles and the capital of tripoli after colonel gaddafi vowed to fight until victory or martyrdom. the whereabouts of the libyan leader is not known. the rebels have offered a reward of a million dollars to anyone who captures or kills him. we were in the streets to gauge the mood of the city that is no longer ruled by the gaddafi dynasty. >> the square has been renamed martyrs' square and honor of all those who lost their lives in the fight for libya. look at it now, it is a scene of celebration. they are waving the old flag

6:03 pm

that will replace the gaddafi's flack. take a look at what lies on the ground. all of these bullet casings. this place exploded in celebration. they have been firing off every possible weapon including anti- aircraft fire today to show to the libyans and the world that the libyans have ended colonel gaddafi's 42 year rule. look at this scaffolding. they were preparing to mark her years in power. this is where this stage will celebrate. this was a huge portrait of the revolutionary leader. they want to say that libya is free. the rebels say they have offered

6:04 pm

a reward if they can get gaddafi dead or alive. that is not stopping them from celebrating. listen to the deafening sound. these are the ramparts were colonel gaddafi used to come to the square to address his people. he said, my people love him. you remember the iconic speeches of the leader that totally dominated libya. he imposed his rules, his ideas which would verge on the out ride as are some time and try to have a revolution. >> libyan rebels equipped with artillery are moving towards a gaddafi stronghold but they are facing stiff resistance. we are traveling with the

6:05 pm

rebels and we got this report. >> it is not over yet. the battlefield the shrinking. these rebels are pushing up reinforcements and are facing a stubborn enemy. we are at 60 miles from colonel gaddafi's home town. his forces had been expected to retreat. they have not been falling back, far from it. >> there is a chance and this did not come from -- that is where you can see them attacking this. >> this group of rebels

6:06 pm

believes there facing more than 1000 gaddafi's troops a few miles up the road. they are offering continued resistance. >> we got tripoli, a game over. apparently, this is personal. i don't know what they're fighting for. we have him in a corner now. >> the rebels still hope that the search will end peacefully. if not, they are building of forces on either side of the town. commanders have predicted that once, gaddafi was removed from power, his followers would give up the fight. some avalos are confounding those expectations and are determined to fight for the last few slivers of territory of the regime. >> foreign journalists held by

6:07 pm

the armed supporters at a hotel in the center of tripoli have now been freed. they were trapped inside of the -- hotel with very little food and water. a bbc team was among them and he sent this report. >> this is all we saw of the battle for tripoli. it came close, into the dining room of the hotel. we stayed away from the windows for four long days. we scavenged what food we could from the hotel's doors. sleeping and living for much of the day in our body armor. nervous of the pro gaddafi guards down below. something is happening downstairs. we are just getting ready. we prepared, fearing that gaddafi forces might come into

6:08 pm

the hotel, perhaps even use us as human shields. early this morning, we scouted around the hotel. many of the guards had vanished. colonel gaddafi still seemed to rule in this tiny patch of tripoli. the guards truly believe his forces could take back the city. so began the negotiation. the tarkanian producer was pivotal. he refused to believe it was over. so, we ventured out. not all of them had gone. then finally, after five days of not knowing whether we would make it out, we did, into our armored vehicle as the red cross swept in to carry the others

6:09 pm

out. out through a city hidden from our view, transformed since we had seen it. then, to duffy ruled. now, it is not certain he does. >> as we heard in the report, the red cross helped organize the release of those journalists who had been held at the hotel. we're joined by the head of the mission of the international committee. how did this come about? explain how your people managed to make this happen. >> we had been president -- present since the outbreak. wherever there are people that need our support, we offer. the groups we have been looking at or formal -- we have been looking at are foreigners and

6:10 pm

journalists. we were in a position to be able to support and facilitate the escort of many journalists out of the hotel through a variety of checkpoints into a safe area under red cross protection. the fighters, they have generally been very respectful of the red cross by virtue of the fact that we have spoken with their leadership. we wish we could do more for the wounded. we wish we could do more for the civilian population. >> this is not something that you think maybe -- this is a dangerous environment for your people to be working on all but negotiations are being involved in this kind of scenario, this endangers your workers' lives? >> there was always a danger in working in this kind of war

6:11 pm

zone. they know we're doing. we are visiting prisoners, supporting hospitals, trying to reunite people separated from the conflict. we are really engaged in the humanitarian work. that is really respected. that allows us to bring supplies to hospitals. we have a team coming from tunisia to go to the hospital. the red cross is respected for exclusive humanitarian work. >> we have this situation where the national transitional council is trying to implement some kind of rule of law but the hospitals are destroyed. there are very few facilities, medical needs. >> i think the needs challenges to insure that ordinary people

6:12 pm

are able to receive care, health care surgery, medical supplies. this must be a priority. we also want to be sure that prisoners are treated correctly and then they get adequate food and water. we want to keep an eye on civilians, and journalists. civilians are frightened to come out of their homes at the moment but they could look forward to a time when tripoli is safe. they will be able to go back to their business. it must be terrifying to be in those houses and not know what is going on around you. >> you are watching "newsday," on the bbc. steve jobs' is stepping down as the chief executive. >> hurricane i rain continues to gather strength.

6:13 pm

-- hurricane irene continues to gather strength. the rebel leaders are looking for two and a half billion dollars to help the country gather strength. >> the new leaders urgently need cash to kickstart reconstruction in a nation shattered by six months of civil war. analysts say the first priority is getting hold of a few billion dollars to stop libya descending into post conflict chaos. >> the immediate priority is to get their hands on liquid assets. they need to pay public sector salaries. the way we are going is that they are on the road to becoming a humanitarian disaster. >> this will come in the form of

6:14 pm

grants and loans for the longer term, libya must rebuild their oil industry. this usually accounts for 80% of government revenue. they can call on funds released by the unfreezing of the vast assets of the gaddafi regime. estimates of the total value of the estimates range as high as $170 billion. it is believed that nearly $40 billion are in the u.s., mostly in real estate. a further large sums have believed to be in germany and the netherlands. other assets we don't know about yet are likely to emerge in the middle of -- there is no shortage of funds for the long term, it did in libya back on its feet will not be easy.

6:15 pm

this is the start of the long road ahead for libya. >> this is "newsday" on the bbc. >> the headlines. rebels have offered a reward of more than a billion dollars for capturing or killing colonel gaddafi. >> fighting the compound where they are facing stiff resistance. -- rebels have offered a reward of more than a million dollars for capturing or killing gaddafi. steve jobs has resigned as a chief executive. he has been on medical leave since january having survived pancreatic cancer. our correspondent in washington says that his reputation -- that his resignation comes as quite a shock.

6:16 pm

>> this came as a surprise. we know that he had been on well for some time. he has been out on medical leave since january of this year. he reemerged briefly to attend a silicon valley convention with barack obama in march. otherwise, he has been on sick leave. this evening, we got a statement saying "i have always said that if there came a day where i could no longer meet my duties and expectations as ceo, i would be the first to let you know. unfortunately, that day has come." he is reassuring people who might be answered about the future and he goes on to say "i believe the brightest and most innovative days are ahead and i look forward to watching and contribute to its success in a new role." >> he recommends that tim cook

6:17 pm

become the ceo. steve jobs himself would become a chairman of the board of directors. his hands-on role on a daily basis appears to be over. >> what we know about him cook? >> he is the man who will be most likely filling the shoes and what a very big shoes they are indeed that stock -- steve jobs has created. these are the people that created the macintosh computer, the ipod, the iphone. they're looking to assuage market fears and the new iphone may well be released next month. this is very much business as usual.

6:18 pm

there will be questions about what apple's future will be given that the big innovator, the man who founded the company, is out of the picture. >> hurricane irene had strength into a category 3 storm. it brought torrential rain to the dominican republic. forecasters say it could be a category four hurricane by the end of the week. to tell us more is a meteorologist at the u.s. national hurricane center and he joins as on the line from miami. this hurricane continues to strengthen, with a ticket areas will affect next? >> it has continued to strengthen. some of the hardest hit areas are in the southeastern and central bahamas. next on the list is the

6:19 pm

northwestern bombers. those will turn to the north and possibly have some significant impacts in north carolina by saturday and even further up the line by the mid atlantic portions of the united states. >> this hurricane has already caused a lot of trouble in the last week's of the multibillion- dollar summer season. how much damage has this cost? >> we have not gone any official or reliable numbers just yet. we saw a lot of flooding in frederika low and we have not gone too much confirmation on the island of hispaniola. some of the worst wind conditions and damages like this occurring in the bahamas.

6:20 pm

certainly, it is causing a lot of havoc across the stretch. >> thank you so much. moving to other news, there has been clashes between police and demonstrators in the chilean capital. the confrontation began after protesters took to the streets to support a general strike demanding political reform. they have said the strike has cost chile $400 million in lost production. and powerful quake has hit a jungle area of peru. this struck 80 kilometers north of -- near the brazilian border. indeed political parties have had a meeting to discuss the

6:21 pm

draft anti-corruption legislation that has been introduced by anna hazare. tens of thousands of his supporters have rallied in delhi. the anna hazare brand is a valuable commodity. >> there is lots of activity here. anna hazare is the anti- corruption campaigner who had seen a hunger strike for more than a week. tell me what you are selling. >> this is a cap. >> this is an ideal belt. >> this is the same style? >> what else are you selling

6:22 pm

here? >> t-shirts, for the national flag. >> what is the most popular flight? >> the popular one is the flag of -- in line >> how many are you selling? >> 2000-3000 a day. >> the demand is tremendous. we cannot handle so much demand. >> what kind of people are buying these? >> all age groups are buying this cap. most of the public are from the teenagers, college students, and on. >> we will let you get back to the busy shop. it is likely that if the anti-

6:23 pm

corruption movement grows, so will sales in the store. >> we go back to london. libya is the big headline story. >> all the newspapers we are looking at are discussing what is happening in libya. let's get some analysis from the director of global security at the henry jackson institute. this award that is offered, a million dollars, whether he is captured dead or alive. morley, this is a little bit ambiguous. >> this is ambiguous. it must be said. the $1.7 million has been offered. the amnesty to those who could potentially be guilty of crimes against humanity if they kill colonel gaddafi.

6:24 pm

this is obviously crucial that colonel gaddafi is found. i can understand the urgency. this raises a few questions. i certainly think it is right that he is brought in alive rather than just being eliminated. >> where should this be? in tripoli or the hague? >> the council chairmen said he would like the trial to take place in the hague. obviously, he is not the libyan people that he is the representative for the time being. my instincts are that it would make sense for it to happen there. obviously it is vital that the trial is free and fair. i worry that it would be to in

6:25 pm

the difficult for that fairness to take place and even if it did, for it to be perceived as much. >> what makes you say that? i am sure that many people in libya, in tripoli, in that country will disagree with you strongly. >> , gaddafi has effectively indicted himself. that being said, i think that having an international court like the hague that can specialize in objectivity will be important. the hague exists only to try to pool where a domestic court is. if the libyan courts can do

6:26 pm

this, it would be best that he is tried in the lake. -- in the hague. >> this is a question, colonel gaddafi's whereabouts. any ideas? >> this is like the ultimate speculation. 48 hours ago, it was he could be in tunisia. it could be under the hotel. if i were to guess he is anywhere, he is probably down south. >> the que very much. >> you have been watching "newsday" from the bbc. >> thank you for watching.

6:27 pm

>> make sense of international news at bbc.com/news. >> funding was made possible by the freeman foundation of new york, stowe, vermont, and honolulu. newman's own foundation. and union bank. >> union bank has put its global

6:28 pm

financial strength to work for a wide range of companies. what can we do for you? >> "bbc world news" was presented by kcet los angeles.